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Description

Trip to England

Date

3-6-1862

Keywords

letter, McIlvaine, Chase, England

Transcript

My dear friend,

I write to congratulate you and all at home on the great actions in [?] and on the Coast, of which we have just heard. Our latest news gone in the [?] and more details of the capture of [?] the evacuation of Bowling Green, the reported evacuation of Colombus, and the probably near capture of [?]. I consider the West as now at our feet. Let us give praise first to God to whom we have prayed. Let us acknowledge this as our strength. He only can make our [?] [?]. His wisdom and help alone can enable us to use well what he now gives us to use. May His goodness turn all hearts to Him and especially of those who rule. Oh! For a deep sense of the need of His guidance and a spirit of prayer to seek it, all those on whom will devolve the difficult work of pacification after rebellion is put down. I enclose the copy of a letter from the Duke of Argyle, which[?] when the anxiety of our best friends in England face, in contemplation of our success. I had [?] here that what is now going on, would soon be heard of. I had also sent Lewis some timely statistics concerning the blockade which my son had gathered from the records of his office. He had sent me a statement of all the [?] and American [?] that had entered the [?] parts of the Decided States from June 1860 to June 1861, to compare with the allegation that 600 had entered the same under the check in 6 months. It came just as Mary had given Lord Rupall his [?]. The Duke’s letter is an acknowledgement of mine. I know a body here that understand our affairs better or with leader’s kindness towards us. I found the same [?] everywhere among our friends. Lord [Shatterbury] hinges these. The more they get the idea that on a [?] another will not return to their old sockets as to territory, fugitive slaves, and leaving slavery wholly to the states, with our gradual emancipation Law to be hoped for, the more they feel with us and hope for our success. Dr. [?] and I have had our chip battles on those heads. I hope with the Duke of Argyle, against compromises. We offered the constitutional laws, they rejected it, and tried to break us all up, that they might reconstruct on their grounds. Now we are free to do the same. They have no claim. Let us dictate the terms of reiteration to the full [?] of the Union. If they accept them well, if not, we hold them under them, [?] we should see fit, having dictated a line of separation to say to [?] same [?} of slavery, “you may stay outside in the cold,” the surest way to bring them back is a short time for hope.

Dr. Jeune “Made a great feast and bade many”-- especially heads of houses. Tell Dr. Seward, who once spent some days with Dr. Jeune, that we had some [?] back ducks which came from him. The Vice Chancellor had been to Lond. and [?] Dr. [?] who had rec’d a present of ducks from Dr. Seward, claimed a pair on the score that we were to dine with him. But he had to send to myy daughters to know how to cook them. We had a good deal of American talk. [?] where have I heard the Lewis [?] concerned them [?] some in Oxford. The warden of Wadheim Dr. [?], in regard to its abuse of our affairs, styled it “an atrocious paper.” I shall send you, as soon as I have read it, his lectures in International Law and Diplomacy, not because there is anything specially formidable to us but because of their source and their weight here.

I must conclude, as I began, with thanks for the aspect of the war. Every arrival will now bring great news. Your stock (treasury) must now be up. Ours here is decidedly. Poor Mason! The only instance I have heard of him being in company, he sent in for the [?] or “the Minister of the Confederate States of America.” Remember me kindly to the Pres. and Dr. Seward and Dr. [?]. Yours,

CP McIlvaine /L

P.S. At the risk of a double postage, I must say that it is no doubt true that Mason has given rise (no doubt purposely) to the idea that England would acknowledge the Confederates, not only would the slave trade be forbidden, but a grand emancipation law would be [?] another law providing for the purchasing of their liberty by present slaves, and another forbidding the selling of wives for husbands. So much has this been thrown with the current of conservatives that while it cannot be ascertained that it has actually been proposed to Gov’t I believe that the object has been to make capitol by the belief that such is the temper of the South towards slavery. If these be any [?] [?] which is a doubt beyond belief, it shows that they are disposed to make some gain out of what they regard as a dire [?] of [?]. It only shows what starts

The [?] find themselves in and what seems they are ready to use for deliverance.

How grandly the West stands up in the war. The Sec. of the Treasury bearing the great burden of Ohio, the Sec. of War lifting up a great fellow burden (almost fallen), the [?] Department and giving new life to the army by his rigor and principle and delivery and order as then the Ohio [?] [?] [?] how [?] they have fought. Not an instance get of any thing but bravery and strength from W. [?] to Fort [?] and F. [?].

Your [?]

Letter from C.P. McIlvaine to S.P. Chase

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